Tearing strip guide



p 1955 E. FLICKINGER 2,718,329

TEARING STRIP GUIDE Filed Sept. 20, 1954 INVENTOR.

Edward Flickinger United States Patent TEARING STRIP GUIDE Edward Flickinger, Seattle, Wash.

Application September 20, 1954, Serial No. 457,077

7 Claims. (Cl. 220-521 This invention relates to what are generally known as tearing strip guides; such guides being designed for use in conjunction with a key for removing the tearing strip or rip strip, from the wall of a key opening can.

It is quite well known that the satisfactory removal of a tearing strip from a can wall by winding it onto a key depends to great extent upon keeping the convolutions of the strip evenly wound onto the coil as formed on the key. If the winding is uneven, and the strip runs off the coil as built up on the key in the winding operation, difliculty in its further removal by the key is to be experienced. Devices of various kinds have already been devised for guiding the strip onto the coil as formed on the key. Many of these guides have proven to be unsatisfactory in use unless held in guiding contact with some part of the can, such, for example, as against the double seam. Others have been found unsatisfactory because of the difiiculty in their use, or because of a certain preciseness being required in their mode of application to the key, or because of requiring use therewith of a key of special kind, or for various other reasons.

In view of the foregoing statements, it has been the primary object of this invention to provide a tearing strip guide that is easy to apply, easy to use, entirely satisfactory in its use and relatively inexpensive.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tearing strip guide that can be used with any and all of the present day forms of tearing strip cans, whether they be round, oval or square; that does not require any special form of key be used therewith; that does not require that it be guided in its travel by contact with a can seam or bead on the can wall; that is easily applied for use and from which device the key with tearing strip wound thereon may be quickly removed after the can is opened.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a guide of the character above stated that eliminates the requirement for careful holding or even watching the operation and can be successfully accomplished even by a blind person, or a person working in the dark; that is usable with tearing strips of different widths and is re-usable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in the details of construction and formation of parts of the device and in its mode of use for its intended purpose, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the present tearing strip guide as opened preparatory to its being applied to the tongue of the tearing strip, to receive the key.

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective showing the key and guide during the key winding operation.

Figs. 3, 4 and are edge views showing the guide Patented Sept. 20, 1955 as applied to the can and in positions preparatory to its application to the strip tongue, and during its use while the strip is being wound onto the key.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates what may be the cylindrical body portion of an ordinary hermetically sealed can, equipped with a tearing strip 2 that is defined between two parallel lines of scoring designated by the dash lines 33. The tearing strip 2 extends from the side seam 4 of the can body, circumferentially about the body and terminates in a short free tongue 5 that may be easily bent outwardly from the cam body wall for application to a strip winding key such as that designated by numeral 6. The key, as here shown has a straight shank portion formed along one end with a slot 7 to receive the tongue 5, and formed at its other end in a loop 6 serving as a handle portion for the turning of the key in winding the strip onto the shank.

The present tearing strip guide is designated in its entirety by reference numeral 8. Preferably, it is formed from a single strip of suitable spring metal, approximately 4 inches long and seven-eighths inches wide. The metal strip is bent at a medial point upon itself to form it into a sort of clasp. The clasp comprises a substantially fiat bottom plate 10 and an outer plate 11. These two plates are joined at one end of the clasp by a transversely directed cylindrically curved resilient bend 12. At the other end of the clasp, the plate 10 is formed with two transversely spaced and outturned wings l313 providing, adjacent their juncture with the part 10, shallow notches or seats as at l4-14 into which the free end of part 11 may be snapped and yieldingly secured in the manner in which it has been shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

To assist in the release of the part 11 from seats 1414 the ears l3-13 are bent angularly, opposite the direction of the seats, and extended for easy depression. When depressed, they spring the seat portions away from the end of part 11 and it springs free.

The bottom plate portion 10 of the clasp is formed approximately midway of its ends, with a transverse trough or depression 15 of substantial depth. Also, this bottom portion is formed longitudinally thereof, from its outer end, through the trough and to near its inner end with a slot 18 which is slightly wider than the tearing strip of the can with which the device is to be used. A guide for a A" strip accommodates at A strip as well. Also, a guide for a V1 strip will accommodate a /8" strip.

The top plate 11 of the clasp is formed lengthwise thereof and along its medial portion with an open slot 19, and strips of metal along opposite sides of this slot are cut free and bent downwardly and forwardly to provide key retaining fingers, 20--20, whereby the shank of the key will be prevented from entering between the parts 10 and 11 beyond the inside of trough 15. These fingers conform to the curvature of the trough as shown in Fig. 4.

Assuming that the parts of the can, key and strip guide are so constructed, the use of the guide with the key is normally as follows:

First, the tongue 5 of the tearing strip 2 is bent outwardly from the can body wall as shown in Fig. 3, and the guide 8 is applied against the side of the can body, lengthwise of the strip and then adjusted endwise to contain the tongue in slot 18. The key is then turned to wind the tongue thereon and seat the key in the trough 15. Then the clasp is closed and latched as in Fig. 4. The strip is then wound onto the key in the usual manner.

In some instances it may be preferred to first apply the key to the tongue and take two turns, then back off one turn, and slide the open guide into place, and then close it and, with the key seated in the trough, complete the key winding operation. Yet another way is to close the clasp, insert the key through the slot 15 and slip it down along the out-turned tongue, and cause the tongue to enter the key slot. Then wind in the strip on the key.

It may be explained that the key might be applied to the tongue and then given one or more turns before the clip is applied. The precise manner of applying key to tongue and the key to the trough 15 is dependent to some extent on the length of the tongue or the desires of the individual.

During a strip winding operation, the strip forms into a coil on the key within the slotted portions 18 and 19 of the bottom and top plates 10 and 11 of the clasp, which parts serve to guide the strip and hold the successive convolutions of the coil even and positively against any running ofi the coil as it is formed.

It has been demonstrated that, when using this device, the position of the key is not critical. It may even be disposed at an angle of up to more than 45 relative to the direction of the strip, and still the strip Will be guided properly and evenly onto the coil by the guide.

After the strip has been wound onto the key and its end broken from the can, the clip can be opened by pressing the wings 13-13 away from the ends of part 11 to release these ends from the seats 14-14. Then the spring tension in the clip causes it to spring open, and the key with the strip wound thereon can be readily removed therefrom.

Devices of this kind are easy to apply, satisfactory in use, relatively inexpensive and the key and strip can be readily removed therefrom. In use, no careful attention is required and the strip device will still perform its function with satisfaction.

The mode of application of key to the device may be varied to meet requirements or to suit the desires of the user. Also, the size, relative proportions of parts and other details might be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tearing strip winding guide in the form of a clasp, having substantially coextensive inner and outer plates, each joined at one of its ends to the other to permit opening and closing action of the clasp; said clasp being adapted when opened, to receive the shank portion of a strip winding key between said plates in a direction transversely thereof and when closed, to rotatably hold said shank between the plates, and releasable latching means for holding the clasp in closed condition; said plates having openings formed therealong in positions to register with each other when the clasp is closed and across which openings the slotted portion of a held key will pass to receive the tongue portion of a tearing strip preparatory to removing the strip from a can body, and said openings being adapted to contain the coil between their opposite edges as formed by the winding of the tearing strip onto the key, and to retain the convolutions thereof one upon the other.

2. A tearing strip winding guide as recited in claim 1 wherein the opening as provided in the inner plate of the clasp continues along and opens to the end portion of the plate to provide for easy application of the opened clasp about the outturned tongue of the tearing strip preparatory to or after applying the tongue to the key, and the subsequent closing of the clasp to hold the key.

3. A tearing strip winding guide as recited in claim 2 wherein the releasable latching means for holding the clasp in closed condition is provided at the free end of the inner plate.

4. A tearing strip winding guide as recited in claim 1 wherein the clasp is formed from a single strip of flat spring metal, bent upon itself intermediate its ends to provide the inner and outer plates thereof; the inner of said plates being formed thereacross with a trough for rotatably seating the key shank therein.

5. A tearing strip winding guide as recited in claim 4 wherein the inner plate is formed at its free end with an outwardly turned portion forming a seat for receiving the end portion of the outer plate as the means for releasably holding the clasp in closed condition; said seat forming portion being yieldable for release of the outer plate for opening the clasp.

6. A tearing strip winding guide as recited in claim 4 wherein the outer plate is formed at opposite sides of the opening therein with inwardly and circularly curved fingers positioned to coact with walls of the trough portion of the inner plate to retain the key shank against displacement and shifting movement toward the closed end of the clasp under the pull of the strip as wound onto the shank.

7. A tearing strip winding guide as recited in claim 1 wherein the clasp is formed from a single strip of fiat spring metal, that is bent upon itself to provide the inner and outer plates thereof; and wherein the inner plate is formed at its free end with outwardly turned portions providing shallow seats faced toward the closed end of the clasp to receive the free end of the outer plate therein for holding the clasp closed, and said outturned portions are extended beyond the seats in a direction away from the closed end of the clasp and against which extended portions pressure may be applied to spring the seats for release of the outer plate for the opening of the clasp.

No references cited. 

